Oil saver



July 26, 1932.

' E. W. PATTERSON `OIL SAVER Filed Deo. 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INV ENTOR 5&2/ MP4/73M M6214/ 4Q ATTORNEYS a 7 a o July 26, 1932. E. w. PATTERSON OIL SAVER Filed Dec. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY Enya# WFM/@ffm 1 ATTORNEYS Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE EDGAR W. PATTERSON, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CLAYTON SEVER-NS AND J. N. HICKS OIL SAVER Application led December 5, 1930. Serial No. 500,364. l

This invention relates to an oil saver which may be secured to the-upper end of a well casing and through which a cable may work up and down, the cable being packed to prevent loss of oil through the casing and around the cable. Such savers are commonly used with percussive drilling in oil sands, swabbing and bailing. Packed heads for saving oil have heretofore been provided and so constructed that a cap forming a part thereof will be released upon a swell in the cable, such as a socket, striking the head. Such structures have been designed to prevent damage and breakage of the cable when the cable and appended tools pass beyond their normal upper limit of travel.

The present invention appertains to an oil saver head of the character above described. It has for its principal obj ect the provision of a releasable cap which is positively locked in normal operating position, and has for a more specific object the provision of details of structure enabling among other things a well packed head.

These objects are obtained by means of the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical axial section through an oil saver; Figs. 2 and 3 are sections as seen on the lines correspondingly numbered in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the retainer thimble; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the catch barrel; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a fragment of a cap and nipple section embodying a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, the upper end of a well casing is marked 7 and has threaded therein a tubular body 8 forming a part of a nipple section. The body has an inner bevel at its upper end and is externally reduced in diameter with a shoulder `9, there being an external thread adjacent the shoulder. Intermediate the ends of the body is an annular groove 10 having sloping sides. These sides form inclined` sur-V faces for coaction with a catch. A collar 11 is secured on the body 8 abutting the shoulder providing an annular space 12 between the body and the collar. The collar has a key way and bore of enlarged diameter adjacent the top and is internally threaded as denoted by 13. Threaded into the collar is a ring 14 having a key 15. A ring leather packing 16 is clamped between the ring 14 and the collar. Y

A cap 17 is arranged to slip into the ring 11i and has a skirt 18 to slip over the body and to be engaged externally by the free lip of the ring leather 16.

A detent key 19 is mounted in the cap and o held outwardly by a spring engaging in the locks the cap against rotation with respect te the nipple section. The leather 16 prevents a leakage of fluid between the body 8, skirt 18 through the joint found between the ring 14 and the crown of the cap is marked stuffing box with a gland 22 and cap 17. The 20 and has a packing 21 held in place by a gland nut 23 threaded to the crown 2O and having handles for ad- 70 are mounds 27 having inclined surfaces corso responding to the inclined surfaces in the groove 10. Ledges 28 are provided on the inner faces of the fingers adjacent their tips. Disposed within the barrel 24 and embraced by the fingers 26 is having a reduced portion 29a for unlocking and an enlarged portion 295 for locking the fingers. A shoulder is provided intermediate the reduced and enlarged portions for seating upon the ledges 28 at the fingers. A bore 9U 30 for the passage of a cable 31 is enlarged at the upper end to provide a socket 30a for reception of a spring 32 of the compression type tending to project the thimble downwardly with the enlarged portion between the fingers as shown in Fig 1. The thimble may be raised against the action of spring 32 to dispose the reduced portion 29a between the lingers, whereupon the latter may be flexed inwardly and the cap 1'( released from 10 a corresponding thread in the cap and 15 a retainer member 29 85 the nipple section. On the cable is a swell 31a which may be engaged with the thimble.

The oil saver is assembled with the parts normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 and mounted upon the top of the well casing. The retainer thimblc maintains the lingers 26 with their mounds 27 in the recess 30, tli-e inclined surfaces coacting so that the oil saver is securely locked in position. The cable lmay be raised and lowered, but if it is raised so that the socket 31a engages the retainer thimble, the latter will be raised to release the fingers and a further upward pull on the cable will cause the cap 17 to be lifted, the ngers riding out of the recess 10. rlhus, any undue strain on the cable or part of the oil saver will be prevented. 1n restoring the oil saver to normal operating position, the thimble 29 is raised and th-e cap fixed into position, the ring 16 securely packing it. The shoulders 26 on the ngers will hold retainer in released position until the mounds of the fingers ride into the recess 10. Thereupon, the spring 32 will position the retainer in locking position as shown inFig. 1.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, the nipple body 8 is of the same structure as before described, the collar 33 corresponding to collar 1l being attached thereto and a bore thereof being smooth. Cap 34C corresponding to cap 17 slips within the collar 33 and over the body 8. A catch barrel 24 is of the same structure as previously described. It will be noted that there is no member corresponding to ring 14. Ring packing 35 is disposed in the slot between the collar and body and disposed in packing position by a compression spring 36. The downward extension 18a of the cap 34 corresponds with the skirt 18 of Fig. 1. The operation is obvious from the assembled structure described.

What I claim is 1. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted in said nipple section and having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on said cap with inclined surfaces acting on inclined surfaces formed on said nipple section to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed Within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said resilient means, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable ass therethrough whereby a swell in said cble may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

2. An oil saver comprising a nipple sec'- tion adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted in said nipple section and having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on to said cap with inclined surfaces acting on inclined surfaces formed on said nipple section to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said resilient means, spring means urging said retainer into locking position, said retainer being arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

3. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted in said nipple section and having a packing for a cable to extend 'therethrough 5 resilient fingers mounted on to said cap and having an axial line of flexure, said fingers having inclined surfaces acting on inclined surfaces formed on said nipple section to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said lingers, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which'is registerable with said fingers whereby either to lock said lingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said fingers, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

4. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted in said nipple section and having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient fingers mounted on to said cap and having an axial line of flexure, said fingers having outstanding mounds with inclined surfaces, said nipple section having a groove with inclined surfaces for coaction with said mounds to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encoinpassed by said fingers, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said lingers where by either to lock said ngers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said fingers, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

5. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted in said nipple section and having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; a b-arrel secured to and depending from said cap, said barrel having axially extending spring fingers with outstanding mounds having inclined surfaces, a groove in said nipple s ection having inclined surfaces for coaction with the mounds on said lingers whereby to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer thimble disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said thimble being longitudinally movable and having longitudinally spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said fingers whereby either to lock said spring fingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said spring fingers, a compression spring urging said thimble into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough' whereby a swell in said cable may engage said thimble and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

6. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular space therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, said cap having a packing for a cab-le to extend therethrough; catch means mounted on to said cap with surfaces for coaction with surfaces formed on said body to secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said catch means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said catch means whereby either to lock said catch means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said catch means, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

7. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular space therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on said cap with inclined'surfaces formed on said body to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally'movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing posi-- tion or to unlock said resilient means, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

8. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of. a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular vspace therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on said cap with inclined surfaces acting on inclined surfaces formed on said body to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions eitlierof which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said resilient means, spring means urging said retainer into locking position, said retainer being arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

9. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular space therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient fingers mounted on to said cap and having an axial line of flexure, said iingers having inclined surfaces acting on inclinedv surfaces formed on said body to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said fingers, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said fingers whereby either to lock said fingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said fingers, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

10. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular space therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient fingers mounted on to said cap and having an axial line of flexure, said fingers having outstanding mounds with inclined surfaces, said body having a groove with inclined surfaces for coaction with said mounds to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a. retainer disposed within and encompassed by said fingers, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either o-f which is registerable with said iingers whereby either to lock said fingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said fingers, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

Y l1. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular space therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; a barrel secured to and depending from said cap, said barrel having axially extending spring fin gers with outstanding mounds having inclined surfaces, a groove in said body having inclined surfaces for coaction with the mounds on said fingers whereby to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer thiinble disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, saidy thimble being longitudinally movable and having longitudinally spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said spring fingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said spring fingers, a compression spring urging said thiinble into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said thiinble and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

l2. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an outstanding collar threaded to the top of said body providing an annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a iing threaded into the bore of said collar, a slip-in cap mounted within the bore of said ring and having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space, and clamped between said ring and collar at said shoulder, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; catch means mounted on to said cap with surfaces for coaction with surfaces formed on said body to secure said cap tov said nipple section, a ictainer disposed wit-hin and encompassed by said catch means, said retainer being` longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said catch means whereby either to lock said catch means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said catch means, said retainer being urged into lookin(r position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking` position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

13. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar threaded to the top of said body providing an annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a ring threaded into the bore of said collar, a slip-in cap mounted within the bore of said ring having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space and clamped between said ring` and collar at said shoulder, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on said cap with inclined surfaces formed on said body to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having` spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to locksaid resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said resilient means, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to havesaid cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

14. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar threaded to the top of said body providingan annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a ring threaded into the bore of said collar, a slip-in cap mounted within the bore of said ring having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space and clamped between said ring and collar at said shoulder, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on said cap with inclined surfaces acting on inclined surfaces formed on said body to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said resilient means, spring means urging said retainer into locking position, said retainer being arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

15. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar threaded to the top of said body, providing an annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a ring threaded into the bore of said collar, a slip-in cap mounted within said bore having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space and clamped between said ring and collar at said shoulder, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient fingers mounted on to said cap and having an axial line of flexure, said fingers having inclined surfaces acting on inclined surfaces formed on said body to yieldably secure'said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said fingers, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said fingers whereby either to lock said fingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said lingers, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

16. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar threaded to the top of said body providing an annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a ring threaded into the bore of said body, a slip-in cap mounted within the bore of said ring, having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space and clamped between said ring and collar at said shoulder, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient fingers mounted on to said cap and having an axial line of flexure, said fingers having outstanding mounds with inclined surfaces, said body having a groove with inclined Vsurfaces for coacti on with said mounds to yieldably secure saidcap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said fingers, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said fingers whereby either to lock said fingers to said nipple section in cap securingposition or to unlock said fingers, said retainer being urged into locking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough Whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

17. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar threaded to the top of said body providing an annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a ring threaded into the bore of said collar, a slip-in cap mounted within the bore4 of said ring having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing leather disposed in said space and clamped between said ring and collar at said shoulder, said can having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough; a barrel secured to and depending from said cap, said barrel having axially extending spring fingers with outstanding mounds having inclined surfaces, a groove in said body having inclined surfaces for coaction with the mounds on said lingers whereby to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer thimble disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said thimble being longitudinally movable and having longitudinally spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said spring fingers to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said spring fingers, a compression spring urging said thimble into looking position and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said thimble and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

18. An oil saver comprising a tubular lower section attachable to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted upon said lower section and having a passage for a cable to extend therethrough; catch means mounted on to said cap with recesses in the upstanding walls of said tubular section for coaction with surfaces which are inclined at their upper and'lower sides and which are formed on said lower section to secure said cap thereto, and a longitudinally movable retainer disposed within said catch means and adapted at one longitudinal position to lock said catch means to said lower section in cap securing position and in another longitudinal position to unlock said catch means, whereby a part carried by said cable may engage said retainer and move it to an unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said lower section.

19. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing` said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar at the top providing an annular space therebetween, a slip-in cap having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing disposed within said space externally of said skirt and be tween it and said collar, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough, and locking means for securing said cap to said section releasable by a swell in said cable engaging said locking means.

20. An oil saver comprising a nipple section adapted to be attached tov the top of a well casing, said nipple section including a tubular body and an upstanding collar threaded to the top of said body providing an annular space therebetween, said collar having a shoulder in its bore, a ring threaded into the bore of said collar, a slip-in cap mounted within the bore of said ring having a depending skirt engaging over said body and within said space, an annular packing disposed within said space and clamped be- Atween said ring and said collar at said shoulder, said packing being located externally of said skirt and between it and said Collar, said cap having a packing for a cable to extend therethrough, and locking means for securing said cap to said sect-ion releasable by a swell in said cable engaging said lock- A ing means.

21. An oil saver comprising a nipple seetion adapted to be attached to the top of a well casing, a cap detachably mounted in said nipple section and having a packing 'for a cable to extend therethrough; resilient means mounted on said cap with projecting portions acting on recesses having inclined surfaces formed on said nipple section to yieldably secure said cap to said nipple section, a retainer disposed within and encompassed by said resilient means, said retainer being longitudinally movable and having spaced locking and unlocking portions either of which is registerable with said resilient means whereby either to lock said resilient means to said nipple section in cap securing position or to unlock said resilient means,

said retainer being urged into locking posis tion and arranged to have said cable pass therethrough whereby a swell in said cable may engage said retainer and move the latter to unlocking position and thereby enable said cap to be detached from said nipple section.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of December, 1930.

EDGAR W. PATTERSON. 

